Chapter 901: Chapter 285: LeBron’s Awkward Predicament
If not for the strong momentum of the Heat Team, Eastern Conference second position might have been overtaken by them.
And from the strong momentum of the Pacers failing to squeeze out the Heat Team, it shows how strong this Heat Team really is.
LeBron’s departure has not affected the team’s strength at all, with Chris Bosh at the core, reducing defense output, focusing all energy on offense with Wade’s assistance, plus Kevin Love sharing the pressure in various aspects under the basket, this Heat Team played two games with the New York Knicks before, with a 1-1 record proving they aren’t the "bloated" team of the past two seasons but truly "strong"!
Miami media stated: "Winning the New York Knicks once in the regular season proves that the Heat Team letting LeBron go in the summer was an exceedingly right choice!"
And even more...
After trades, Lakers resurgence was unexpected by many media outlets.
If they play a position war now, they’ve got Al Jefferson guarding the basket.
Currently, he should be the strongest single-scoring inside player under the basket.
Zach Randolph and Paul Gasol, compared to him, have some age disadvantages.
Al Jefferson is facing the best two seasons of his career.
And if they run...
They have Tucker too!
In the "Christmas game," Lakers not only won a victory but also gained Tucker at the four-position!
Phil Jackson described Tucker as: "If not for the rebounds, I’d think Daniel Rodman has returned to the League!"
This statement certainly has some exaggeration, but it also proves how excited he is about Tucker!
Otherwise, he would never say something like that.
"Point Guard: Chris Paul, Shooting Guard: Kobe, Small Forward: Ariza, Power Forward: Tucker, Center: Odom!"
This is the Lakers version of "Small Lineup"!
Actually, it misses only a basket-player like Capela compared to the Rockets’ 2019 lineup.
As for the absolute core James Harden’s state then, he was definitely better than Kobe.
Kobe had already come down from the absolute peak period, while James Harden was at his absolute peak in 2019...
But Kobe is better than James Harden in:
He can play off-ball!
Moreover, at this stage, Chris Paul is stronger compared to Paul in 2019!
Also, Ariza and Tucker are the same.
In the ups and downs between them, these four’s combination is actually stronger than the Rockets’ "four group" in 2019.
It’s just Odom at the fifth position, compared to Capela, doesn’t have such strong rebound grabbing or "cake-eating" ability.
This is the biggest shortcoming of this lineup currently.
They still need one inside player who can grab rebounds!
But even with these Lakers, they have pulled the Spurs to third place from second place, temporarily keeping a distance from the Thunder Team. But these are gaps that existed before this trade.
After the trade, the Lakers’ recent net victory numbers are even greater than the Thunder Team’s.
Such a strong Lakers Team is quickly becoming the "championship favorite" under a round of reporting by Los Angeles media!
Regarding this, David Stern is actually quite expectant.
In the previous two years, it was Su Wan and the New York Knicks who finally made it to the NBA Finals from the Eastern Conference.
While in the Western Conference, it was the Spurs and the Thunder Team.
The New York Knicks vs. Spurs NBA Finals was a bit better.
Especially when Su Wan sent Popovich to the ICU, viewer ratings dramatically spiked;
Last season’s game ratings were really distressing.
Since the Thunder Team got crushed, viewer ratings continued to decline.
Even more awkwardly, David Stern found it hard to find a hype!
That’s just...
Since taking over as the League’s president in the 1980s, it’s one of the few Finals where David Stern didn’t know how to boost the excitement.
Fortunately, after two years of dormancy, Kobe and the Lakers have again become the "championship favorites"!
The miracles created by Su Wan and Kobe meeting in the Finals two years ago are still vivid in his mind.
He believes, after two years, if the two teams can meet on the Finals stage again, viewer ratings will surely "warm up and surge" directly!
Even the president thinks so; naturally, reporters wanted to know Su Wan’s opinion on this.
Su Wan said: "Every three-peat is not easy, I never perceive these things as simple, but for me and the New York Knicks, it’s time to create a dynasty, the opportunity is right in front of us, and we will seize this chance!"
"So, you think this season, it’s still the New York Knicks who can laugh until the end?" The reporter asked confirming.
Su Wan nodded: "Yep!"
The conversation was soon posted online, with New York fans filled with energy one by one.
The New York Knicks currently rank first in the League.
Stephen Curry has reached his fourth season in his career, completely transforming into an All-Star Player.
Many media now say that even if Curry isn’t selected in the guard line, he will definitely take the Eastern All-Star substitute position.
His progress is the New York Knicks’ biggest gain this year.
However, not all news within the New York Knicks team is good right now:
Tyson Chandler’s state was not ideal at the start of this season.
Entering January, some old injuries resurface making his mobility sluggish, now he plays only around 30 minutes per game, with an average of 10.4 points and 7.6 rebounds. Such stats clearly cannot uphold the New York Knicks’ inside.